Save the Date……Taste Coleambally-Food & Farm Festival

Next weekend, the rural community of Coleambally in the Riverina (NSW) will be hosting its own Taste Coleambally Food & Farm Festival.

A weekend of celebrating the town and surrounding area's contribution to the food industry and a wonderful chance for the public to meet local farmers and learn more about agricultural practices and local produce. 

"It is not just a matter of learning about Coleambally produce, it is the bigger picture of positive promotion of Irrigated Agriculture and sustainable use of water. This promotion assists all irrigators in the Riverina and Australia. We are getting an important message across to as many people as possible, not only urban people….local residents too", says Festival Coordinator, Julie Bellato.

Starting on Saturday morning with farm tours and then in the evening the very popular 50 Mile Taste Coleambally Meal, with guest speaker and internationally reknowned foodie, Rebecca Sullivan. Rebecca is the highly acclaimed author of  "Like Grandma used to make" and a big supporter of the very popular "Granny movement" and the "Slow food movement". More about Rebecca can be found on her website,  Dirty Girl Kitchen.

Sunday is the main festival day and jammed pack of activities to suit everyone, including The Paddock to Plate Precinct, Rabobank Farm Yard, Tractor and machinery display with a photo booth for the kids, A kids craft corner, wheelburrow races, Food N Fibre Regatta and the very popular  "SunRice Coly Cook Off".

For more information, visit their website www.farm2food.net or the Taste Coleambally Facebook page. Like the facebook page and you will go in the draw to win a "Good Golly Taste Coly" Gourmet food hamper by Riverina Grove Pty Ltd. 

And, if you are in the area, please stop by…..it will be a great day out!

Breakfast on the go- Two ways!

Do you have mornings that are just so crazy busy that you totally forget to have breakfast? Or perhaps you just aren't really a brekky person. I'm definitely a breakfast person (it's probably my most favourite meal- which makes me sound incredibly boring, I know….) but my problem isn't that we are crazy busy in the morning racing out the door to be places, but rather crazy busy feeding, changing nappies, cleaning up, getting dressed, deploying my conflict resolution skills targeted specically at toddlers, setting up activities, cleaning up, making coffee, changing another nappy, reading books, drawing princess castles, picking up crumbs off floor, wiping hands and faces…. and did I mention cleaning up???

Breakfast for me at best is often cold toast, leftover from the kids…..or a bowl of soggy cereal or cold porridge. I tend to fill up on coffee these days! So, in a way to get back in control of the most important meal of the day, I've been making home made granola and muesli bars so there is no excuse for not starting the day with some goodness. Here are two quick and easy recipes to help you get through your morning with something healthy in your tummy.

 Home made Muesli Bars

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped (or other nuts of your choice)

1/2 cup wheatgerm

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pepita seeds

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1/3 cup dried cranberries- or your choice of dried fruit or choc chips

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup soft brown sugar

1/2 vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 130 deg cel and line a baking tray with baking paper. Tray should be approx 25 cm x 35 cm in size. Put oats, coconut, wheatgerm, almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepita seeds, chia seeds and cranberries into a bowl. Put honey, brown sugar and oil into a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix really well- might need to pull up your sleeves and use your hands to really mix through the syrup. Press mixture into tray  and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until it is golden brown. Allow to cool. Best to cut into slices whilst still a bit warm as the slice will go a bit hard when cool. If you slice whilst too warm, it will crumble. Store in airtight container. Will keep for up to a week in a cool place or 2 weeks in fridge.

Extra- Try drizzling some melted chocolate on top for something different!

Recipe found in my old recipe journal from 20 years ago- source unknown

Home made Granola-
4 cups rolled oats
3/4 shredded coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepita seeds
1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped (or other choice of nuts)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
50 ml sunflower oil
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried fruit or choc chips

Preheat the oven to 140 deg celcius. Combine the oats, coconut, sunflower and sesame seeds, pepitas, almonds, spices and salt in a bowl. Place oil, honey and sugar in a suacepan over medium heat and stir until combined. set aside to cool slightly before adding the vanilla. Pour this syrup mix over the dry ingredients and mix in well-again, hand action required, if you want too! Spread mix onto two trays, each lined with baking paper, and cook for about an hour. Check regularly and stir granola around to ensure that it cooks evenly. When finished, allow to cool, before storing in an airtight container or jar. When warm, it will still feel 'wet' but once it cools, it will be a lovely sweet, crunchy texture.

Perfect as a breakfast muesli, sprinkled on yoghurt and fruit, add a handful to your smoothie, a healthy energy snack throughout the day or a quick and easy crumble mix to add to some stewed fruit, served with warm custard. Also makes for a lovely gift- just thinking!!! For those on the go, try adding some to a small jar on top of some poached fruit and juice- my current favourite is poached quinces. Pop it in your bag and voila!!!

Recipe inspired & adapted from Sophie Hansen's Local is Lovely 

So, there you have it- two simple recipes that share very similar ingredients, which can be made into very quick and easy breakfasts depending on what you prefer. I try and keep all my nuts and seeds together in the pantry, along with the oats, wheatgerm, etc- so prep time is always quick. I also like that you can basically pick and choose what you add to both. As my husband would say, Welcome to Birdseed City!

Are you a breakfast person?

Enjoy x

In My Kitchen- May 2014

Have you read the blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial?
Celia lives in Sydney and writes about all things foodie and other things in life she enjoys. She has a monthly post called In My Kitchen where she shares whats new in her kitchen for that month.
She also encourages other bloggers to join in, so here is my post for this month's In My Kitchen.

Quinces and Rhubarb- found at our local green grocer (which I absolutely love!!!!). With the cooler weather we have been spending more time inside and in the kitchen. I attempted to make a flourless rhubarb cake but it failed miserably so will stick to my trusty rhubarb crumble cake which is always a winner.

These quinces were poached. So simple and yet so deliciously rewarding. Slice, core and peel skin off four quinces. In a pot, bring to boil 4 cups of water, 1 cup of caster sugar, a strip of lemon rind and juice of half a lemon. For extra favouring, add half a vanilla bean, or some cloves or cinnamon stick. I added vanilla bean. Once boiling, add quinces and turn down heat so that they gently simmer for about 2 hours. Check after first 45 minutes that there is enough syrup- add extra water if you need too. Be careful when stirring as the quinces will break up. Once cooked, pour into steralised jars and store. So yummy as a dessert or for breakfast.

Home made Granola which go perfectly with poached quinces. I fill a small jar and keep in my bag when out and about- makes for an easy energy snack.

I have a cupboard of cookbooks and I keep promising myself I wont buy anymore but the odd temptation often pulls rank. These below are my current top five GO TO books for inspiration and good reliable recipes. Do you have any favourites to share???

Our Nespresso machine is probably the most used gadget in our kitchen. I would seriously not function without it! The best bit is how wonderful the service is for country people. I can order my capsules online and receive them in the post the next day. We also had an issue with one of the parts and after a phone call, we were advised to send the part back to them and it was replaced within a few days. I can not praise Nespresso enough for such wonderful customer service- especially when you live in a rural area. Oh, and the coffee is good every time!!!!

We recently had a garage sale which mean't going through old boxes in the shed. I came across my old teapot I bought from a friend's shop in Edinburgh about 20 years ago. Rachel made all sorts of kitchen pottery pieces and then painted them bright colours and patterns. I always loved the orange slices against the blue. So, as a celebration in finding this old friend, we made scones and drank tea.

Fresh eggs straight from the Little Forest Produce in Barham. These chooks live in caravans and graze in the paddocks- you cant get more free range then that! Nothing beats fresh farm eggs! I like to buy a tray every fortnite at the Echuca Farmer's Markets.

I also popped in to visit Lauren at Bundarra Berkshires , just down the road from Little Forest Produce, and bought this beautiful shoulder of pork and some bacon straight from her farm shop. I have the Gourmet Girlfriend's Pulled Pork recipe in mind for this, which I have tried a few times before and is always worth the wait!

 Time to clean my old silver cutlery collection.

How good is freshly made garlic bread? Although the trick is adding just the right amount of garlic.
I like to make a big batch and freeze as many little baguettes as possible…..always handy for the impromptu lazy pizza nights when I can't be bothered cooking anything else.

Home made crumpets. Ive been experimenting with various recipes and think I have finally found one that I like- or rather- works best for me. It has taken a few tries  to learn what the mixture is supposed to be like. They do require lots of love and time but they are seriously worth it. The recipe I used for this batch was from Elizabeth David shared on Hugo & Elsa's beautiful blog.

Some roses from our garden….just adds a pretty feminine touch to the kaos of our kitchen bench.

What is going on in your kitchen this month? 

Joining in with Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for In My Kitchen.

Be sure to pop over and visit Celia's blog and others too for some kitchen inspiration!

  

Local is Lovely- The Book!

Yesterday was a very happy mail day…..I received my copy of  Local is Lovely by Sophie Hansen, which I ordered last week after it's official launch in Orange.

Sophie Hansen is a food writer, well known blogger (of the foodie blog Local is Lovely), farmer's wife, mother and a brilliant cook who is very passionate about cooking with fresh, seasonal produce. This book is a collection of delicious recipes- most of Sophie's but also of the food producers from which she sources her food from. 

Sophie and her husband Tim run a successful deer farm business in Orange, NSW, so farming is very close to their heart. They sell their venison and also have farm kitchen lunches, which is on my bucketlist to do one day!

Ive been following Sophie's blog for about 18 months- it was actually the first blog I started following, and Ive been a big fan ever since. I love Sophie's style of writing, her photography is beautiful, stories about food and producers interesting, and her recipes always leaves me feeling very hungary! I also love reading her weekly Friday List too.

In her introduction, Sophie describes her cooking style as "Not fancy stuff, but simple, tasty, family food that has a story and fits with the season".

This book is not just a cookbook (which happens to be filled with mouthwatering, delicious recipes) but also goes behind the scenes with the food producers and their stories. It is divided into seasons which makes for easy cooking and filled with lovely stories all the way through. Sophie's mother, Annie Herron, has also provided some lovely illustrations. 

I went to bed last night making up a list and feeling hungary as I read through all the recipes I just cannot wait to try…..Goats cheese fritters, walnut, honey and carrot cake, twelve hour pork with apples and cider, peach crumble cake, roast chicken pieces with tarragon and garlic, spring quiche (even though its autumn!!!), honey granola……the list goes on…….

You can purchase the book here. Pefrect Mother's day gift…..just a thought! And if you havent already discovered Sophie's blog, check that out too!

Have a lovely day…Im off to make some crumpets with salted honey butter for a morning tea snack…..mmmmmmm x

What's cooking in our home this week!

It's been a busy week with lots happening in our house. We have had some hurdles to jump as well as some little sideline projects we are working on- hence no blogging for a a few days!

I'm not naturally a lunchy type person- unless it's made for me…- and Im especially bad when there is lots happening and distractions of the small people. This simple cauliflower salad is quick and easy, relatively healthy, fresh and tasty.

It was given to me recently by a good friend, Susan and since then its been getting quite a bit of midday (well mid afternoon) airtime! 

Cut your uncooked caulifower into small florets. Mix a quantity of Kewpie Mayonaisse with some wasabi (optional and to taste) in a seperate small bowl. Combine with cauliflower and place in a bowl or on a plate. Sprinkle over black and white sesame seeds. Dont worry if you don't have the black sesame seeds- I bought some at our visit to the South Melbourne Markets a few weeks ago. Up until then I just used the white sesame seeds and it was fine.

How easy is that???

Seriously yummy and can be eaten as a side salad or accompanied with your drinks and nibbles as a tapas style dish.

This past week has also seen a batch of my mother in law's amazing Tomato relish cooked up in our kitchen with a rather large bag of juicy over ripe tomatoes purchased at the markets last weekend.
Relish is a staple in our house (much like milk and bread). You can never have enough of this little jar of goodness!

And this delicious Orange and Garlic Roast Chook from the latest Home Beautiful Magazine.

Trying to enjoy the last few weeks of outdoor dining with the kids before daylight savings ends and the cooler weather sets in.

What food were you cooking up this week in your home?

Heavenly Figs

As you know last saturday I popped down to our local farmers markets and came home with lots of goodies. I stocked up on fresh bread, some veggies, honey, eggs, and my favourite find- a crate of figs.

I love figs, especially fresh, and with a crateful in front of me, I was on a mission to use them all up wisely….

My all time favourite way of eating figs fresh is with some Natural Greek Yoghurt, topped with sliced up figs, drizzled with honey and toasted flaked almonds sprinkled on top- oh, and a sprig of mint. I also added some fig puree (stolen from the pre fig paste making pot!) as well just to add some extra flavour to the yoghurt.  A very quick and simple breakfast or dessert.

Suggested by the lady who grew these figs, is this simple combination- Slice of bread (I used a fig and hazelnut loaf bought at markets) topped with some cream cheese, then slices of figs, drizzle some maple syrup over and pop under the griller to warm up and brown the bread. Delish!

And, with 3 kilos of figs up my sleeve I had to make some sort of preserve…..a fig paste served with cheese. Simple pleasures! This batch was adapted from maggie Beer's classic recipe. I added two pears as well in the stewing process just for some extra flavour. Served with gooey soft cheese and some fig and hazelnut loaf (purchased at the markets).

I still have quite a few left over. Im itching to make this fresh fig and almond breakfast cake and also this roasted fig tart with orange blossom, cinnamon and mint cream filling. The rest will be used to make into this Spiced Fig and ginger Jam which I think sounds rather yummy!

So, am I figged out yet????…….No way!

Have you any favourite fig recipes?

Shopping Local at the Echuca Farmers Markets

Well, the first day of Autumn certainly did provide a gorgeous day for walking around our local Farmers Markets.

The Echuca Farmers Markets are held every 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturday of each month. With between 18-25 stall holders, there is always a good range of local and fresh produce available, and all grown or made within 100 km of Echuca. 

Farmers Markets, in both the city and country, are becoming more and more popular with customers wanting to feel a bit more connected to their food source. The Echuca markets have been running for ten years and have more than doubled in size since they first began- a healthy sign that this style of buying produce is definitely here to stay and a tribute to the organisers who have worked so hard to ensure we have a good variety and great quality goods available.

The markets are such a great way to learn about what produce is in season and therefore buying fresh goods at a reasonable price. I find in a supermarket, as most produce is available all year round, its very easy to forget whats in season and whats not- except of course, for the price! Also, what is Australian and what is imported! It is a great way of chatting with farmers and producers and knowing that what you are buying has been grown or made with hard work yet much love. 

Being a keen cook (and lover of all things foodie), I love chatting and swapping recipe ideas with the stall holders. Especially with the ladies who have been making preserves for years-lots of good tips! I then find myself (slightly distracted and incredibly inspired !!)  buying a few kilos of fruit or vege (that perhaps weren't on the shopping list but looked too good to resist). My challenge is then to sift through recipes and cook my way through the bag. 

And unlike that supermarket shop we all dread, a trip to the market is a fun excursion and lovely way to spend an hour or two on the weekend, whether your by yourself, with family or friends. Grab a coffee, bacon and egg roll, a fresh juice or freshly baked muffin…..meander around and get to know the stall owners. You will learn lots and grab some bargains and come home feeling inspired. 

Best of all, you are supporting our farming community who are yet again facing another drought and the unknown prospect of when it might rain again. It really is important more than ever, to support these kinds of markets and in turn our local farmers and producers. 

Echuca Farmers Markets- For more details check out their facebook page and the Victorian Farmers Markets Association. Located at Altin Reserve, Hare Street, Echuca. Every 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturday on the month.

Stallsholder details-
Eggs available from Little Forest Produce- Barham
Bunbartha Beef- Bunbartha (online shop available or via Farmhouse Direct). Follow them on Facebook.
The Old School Winery and Meadery- Womboota (Can be purchased online from Farmhouse Direct)
Details on other local producers in the area can be found on the Backroads Trail or the Farm Gate Trail.
Sauci Sista Gourmet Preserves- available online here.