Paddock to Plate - The Farm

Fresh back from a day of cherry picking (yes, I did that) in a beautiful part of the country called Young. I felt three things: happy, refreshed and stupidly full (pick one, eat one right?!). No matter that it was a balmy 35 degrees outside and a bucketful of cherries seemed to get heavier by the second. Armed with sunscreen and an iron will, no cherry tree would get the better of me and an hour and a half later, I think we were rewarded handsomely.

Today I thought I'd share with you a little clip I stumbled upon. It's produced by The Field Institute, the foodie group who publish Field Guides to Local Produce as well as the Locavore Edition. Now, in collaboration with Palate magazine they're branching out with The Farm. This is an exciting project launching in Byron Bay in the new year. Owner Will Cotterill and Mark LaBrooy (the latter a chef from Three Blue Ducks) are working together to open a farm shop and restaurant, taking the very best from what's grown on the acreage. With a tinkering soundtrack by Eleven Magpies and images of pristine  farm land - it's enough to make you want to pack up and go.

The Farm from PALATE on Vimeo.

A quick glance on their website and you can see that their vision is   rather an ambitious one - a restaurant for close to 100, macadamia and avocado orchards, hundreds of chickens, a piggery, apiaries and a cheese processing plant are just the beginning. For those looking for a tree change, The Farm is a great place to start and draw inspiration. Following in the steps of Rohan Anderson (Whole Larder Love), Rodney Dunn (The Agrarian Kitchen) and Matthew Evans (Gourmet Farmer) The Farm is championing local produce and all its perks. Now we have something to experience for ourselves, and right on our doorstep. Cheers to that.

Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas!

xGourmand

An Apple Cake for the Afternoon

There's nothing quite like settling down to a cup of tea at 3 in the afternoon with a wee slice of cake. Afternoon tea is an incredibly English institution (nothing wrong with that) which I've taken into my own hands. Here is a recipe adapted from The Real Food Companion by Matthew Evans a.k.a. The Gourmet Farmer. The result is a deliciously moist cake with a fine crumb that you don't have to do the hard yards for i.e. my kind of recipe. Enjoy this one, especially as the days get cooler.

"Just a small slice": the best thing about this cake is certainly the apples. Cut into generous cubes, they are the star of the show here. Land yourself some apples from you local farmer's markets, the growers can advise you on which are best to use

Ingredientsss

1kg cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1.5cm dice

200g raw sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

A few drops of vanilla extract

125ml extra virgin olive oil

200g walnuts, roughly chopped

250g self-raising flour

1.5 tspn ground cinnamon

A pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease and line a round 28cm cake tin (I've used a loaf tin out of convenience)

2. Mix apples in a bowl with sugar, egg, vanilla, oils and walnuts

3. Sift in flour, cinnamon and salt and stir

4. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for ~45 minutes

5. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes until turning onto a wire rack to continue cooling

6. Serve that baby up!

Don't be alarmed by the apple to cake batter ratio, it does seem like an awful lot of fruit to be baking in there. Miraculously though, it just works with beautiful results!

This cake is just one of those recipes that are handy to have around, when friends drop by or you're craving something to tie you over until lunch time. It will keep for a good 3 days in a container  too. Can't go wrong with this one!

Thanks for reading and happy baking!

xGourmand

A Long Lunch with Matthew Evans

Sydney's Good Food Month has kicked off with a bang, and a spit roast. Oh yes, you read right. This momentous (and lamby) occasion was to mark the release of Matthew Evans' a.k.a. Gourmet Farmer new memoir, The Dirty Chef. His latest book documents his bold tree change from bustling Sydney to the tranquil of the Huon Valley in southern Tassie. And what better way to enjoy the October sunshine than a lamb spit roast and a long lunch? Warning: this post is not recommended for vegetarians.

Taming the Beast: this was our welcome. Hot fat drips into the coals and plumes of smoke puff back at you, tauntingly. Want a piece of me? [That was rhetorical, obviously]

Our luxuriously long lunch was hosted by The Commons, the 'local eating house' of Darlinghurst. A venue much suited because of their philosophy of sourcing food locally and knowing its origins. Ethical food choices are what they are all about and this is a message that Evans' also endeavours to get out there. Much of the produce from the lunch was sustainably sourced by providore Feather and Bone, whom you can find at Pyrmont Markets. I've written a bit about these ideas in a post that you can find here. Glass of La Zona prosecco in hand, you can't help but enjoy the surrounds!

The outdoor courtyard at The Commons, home to the spit roast lamb for this afternoon delight.

We were in for a looong lunch, 4 courses of a sharing style menu designed by Matthew in conjunction with the Commons kitchen. A veritable Spring feast i.e. the best. Here's my photographic rundown... Bon appetit!

Fried local zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta and herbs. Plump and stuffed with creamy-as ricotta, these babies were a delicious and crispy starter

Charcuterie board (left) and Chicken liver crostini (right). The charcuterie by Feather and Bone included bresaola (a favourite amongst us), prosciutto and salami - cured meats that were surprisingly sweet and mellow. I'm a bit of a closet paté/terrine fan so this smooth liver crostini was lovely

Grilled mackerel stuffed with salsa verde. A sustainable fish course presenting a vibrant green hue. This was one of my personal favourites, with a squeeze of lemon and a smear of aïoli the little mackerel packs a punch

The mackerel (left, ain't it pretty?) and right, seasonal vegetables - a warm salad of asparagus (new in season), heirloom carrot and broad bean

Le pièce de résistance: whole 2 week dry-aged biodynamic White Suffolk lamb from Lynden Farm, Oberon NSW. Carved up with expertise by Matthew and Grant from Feather and Bone. Boom.

The lamb, in case you were wondering was the star. Rather tender, rather crispy skin, rather amazing. If we only had one plate for lunch, this would be more than enough. But no, we've gone for seconds and thirds and fourths...It makes me smile :)

For dessert we had a cheeseboard of Marrook farm biodynamic Brinawa (Tilsit style) cow's milk farmhouse cheese but this was the main event: blood orange, polenta & olive oil cake with mascarpone. Oh boy, this was a thing of beauty. The occasional crunch of the polenta grains was a nice textural touch.

Three glorious hours later we were nursing our food babies and listening to Matthew tell us about the highs and lows of working the land (he now has 2 farms to keep him busy) and a sneak peek into his upcoming project (which smells a bit fishy, hint hint). Evans is as down-to-earth and hospitable in real life as he seems on our TV screens. This afternoon was a wonderful feast of ideas, great food and good company. What more could you ask for?

Evans' new memoir, The Dirty Chef - a rather curious title indeed! I've got my signed copy next on the reading list ;)

Thanks for reading and Happy Long Weekend!

x Gourmand