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Bondi Farmers Market

On May 27, 2011 in Bondi, farmers market, free range, gluten-free, organic, Sydney

Something wonderful has happened in my neck of the woods. They’ve started a farmers market at the local public school every Saturday. It’s called Bondi Farmers Market and it’s an absolute blessing to supermarket-fatigued consumers like me who have been crying out for more seasonal, diverse and fresh produce.

I lost touch with the seasons during my early adulthood when supermarket chains started messing with the seasons by selling produce all year round. Great for convenience, but quite disastrous for one’s taste buds. My palate has taken a good thrashing in the process. Like many Aussies, I’ve become accustomed to flavourless tomatoes, floury carrots and less than average apples.

It’s a sad state of affairs when you have to consult Wikipedia to check what’s in season. When you can buy pineapples in winter and apples in summer, you can hardly blame us for losing touch. As for biodiversity, well don’t even get me started on that topic. Did you know, for example, there’s such a thing as purple and white carrots? In Bill Bryson’s book, “At Home”, he talks about the plenteous amount of produce available during Victorian times. He says, “Of apples alone, there were, almost unbelievably, more than 2000 varieties to choose from – Worcester pearmain, Beauty of Bath, Cox’s orange pippin and so on in long and poetic vein”. Begs the question, what exactly are we missing out on as modern-day consumers?

The fruit and veg you see on your supermarket shelves merely scratch the surface of what’s dished up by Mother Nature. All in the name of ease of transport and economic efficiency.  In a similar vein to the sea and tree change movement which saw city slickers run for the hills in search of a better quality of life, many urban dwellers are turning their backs on the supermarkets in favour of better quality produce. This is where farmers markets come into play.

You wouldn’t believe my delight at discovering the Bondi Farmers Market. Running every Saturday from 9am til 1pm, the market is brimming with fresh seasonal fruit and veg, organically grown meat and poultry, just picked flowers, artisan breads, homemade jams, farmstead cheeses, seafood, olive oils, and herbs and spices. With a promise to be open rain, hail or shine, the markets are a fantastic way to get your weekend groove on. Everything sold is made with love, and by the people who grow or make it. Think seasonal fruit and veg.

I was like a crazed woman kid in a lolly shop as I made my way around the market and chatted with the lovely stallholders. Such a refreshing change from the anonymity and soullessness of supermarket shopping. The ladies from the Haweksbury’s Willowbrae Chevre Cheese gave me a quick lesson on the different varieties of kale (so pretty it could almost double as a bunch of flowers) as well as stunning purple and white carrots. Who knew there was such a thing?! Oh, and they had baskets of beautiful fresh herbs for $3 a bunch.

Kale

The prettiest kale I've ever seen.

Purple carrots

Purple and white carrots from Willowbrae Chevre Cheese.

Kale from Willowbrae Chevre Cheese.

Kale from Willowbrae Chevre Cheese.

It’s fair to say that Addiction Food whip up the best brownies on the planet. They’ll even tell you that on their website, and it’s true. Better still, they’re wheat, egg and dairy-free which is perfect for a girl like me. It tasted just like a normal brownie. I am going to try to replicate it in my kitchen, so stay tuned for that.

Brownie from Addiction Food

A wheat, egg and dairy-free brownie from Addiction Food.

Paddy the Baker specialises in traditional Irish breads. I don’t think their soda bread would be as good as Paul’s wheat and yeast-free variety, but who am I to judge?! I’ll be sure to post Paul’s amazing recipe soon, so keep your eyes out for that.

Traditional Irish breads from Paddy the Baker

Traditional Irish breads from Paddy the Baker

The lovely Jonathan from Stockman’s Ridge Wines in Orange gave me a quick 101 on what constitutes a perfect pinot gris as I snuck a taste of their 2008 Rider Shiraz and 2009 Outlaw Shiraz (both of which won bronze medals at the Sydney Royal Wine Show).

 

Stockman's Ridge Wines

Stockman's Ridge Wines

 

Stockman's Ridge Wines

Stockman's Ridge Wines

I couldn’t resist a taste test of Red Delicious and Ginger Snap tea from The Rabbit Hole organic tea bar. I made an impulse purchase of a Bodum Tea for One cup so I can be civilised and sip tea at my desk throughout the day at work.

 

Red Delicious and Ginger Snap tea by The Rabbit Hole

Red Delicious and Ginger Snap tea by The Rabbit Hole

One of the most impressive stalls in terms of produce and variety was Field to Feast. You may have read about them on Not Quite Nigella. I plan to do my weekly grocery shop here every Saturday from now on. The stall was a kaleidoscope of green with fresh herbs, lettuces and vibrant veggies generously sprawled across the counter. They had containers filled to the brim with unusual chilli varieties which I can never find at the green grocer – Scotch Bonnets and the like. Then there were tubs of miniature light green zucchini and a stunning display of pumpkins fit for a Halloween party.

 

Field to Feast produce at Bondi Farmers Market

Field to Feast dishes up the freshest and most interesting produce around.

 

Vicki from La Pizza Cucina told me a great story about how she ate the best pizza of her life in Venice and decided when she got back to Australia that she simply had to replicate the pizza and turn it into a business. They sell gluten-free bases without toppings, so I might have to grab some next time I’m there.  If you can’t make it to the markets, you can find La Pizza Cucina at David Jones Food Halls and other gourmet food stores.

 

La Pizza Cucina's most popular pizza is the Margheurita.

La Pizza Cucina's most popular pizza is the Margheurita.

I’m looking forward to buying some wooden chopping boards from Simon at Byron Bay Boards so I can channel Jamie Oliver at my next dinner party and serve food on them. They’ve been seen on Masterchef with Maggie Beer, so I figure they must be good. They say you can look after your wooden chopping boards by rubbing them with grape or vegetable oil.

The Apple Man makes the long trip from Batlow to see his shiny Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples. I can feel apple muffins, apple pie and apple cake recipes coming on. Wheat-free, of course.

The Apple Man

The Apple Man

The Apple Man

The Apple Man sells crunchy apples from Batlow, NSW.

Another stall to check out is Farmer Jo natural muesli. I haven’t tried it yet, but there’s a wheat-free variety that I have my eye on. Food writer, Kate Gibbs gives Farmer Jo a good wrap on her blog. It has some of the funkiest packaging I’ve seen in a while.

Farmer Jo muesli

Farmer Jo muesli

I couldn’t possibly wrap up this post without doing a quick shout out to:

  • the organic macadamia stall ($9.50 a pack)
  • gluten-free Black Angus sausages from Spring Lamb Beef for $10 a kilo
  • the dairy-free, handmade choccie by Jiradan Organics
  •  the man who sells fresh local strawberries
  • Old Man’s Gully sausage sizzle
  • Mirrool Creek pasture-fed lamb
  • the spatchcocks from down south
  • the exquisite exotic mushrooms from the Southern Highlands
  • Popes Free Range Eggs for $8 a carton

Bondi Farmers Market

Bondi Beach Public School (On Campbell Parade) Bondi Beach 2026
Open 9am-1pm every Saturday

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Fig Tree Byron Bay

On May 18, 2011 in Byron Bay, organic, recipes, restaurants

Do you believe in love at first sight? That lightening bolt moment when two worlds collide and you recognise the love of your life? Some people see fireworks while others recount stories of birds suddenly appearing, knees trembling and cherubs flying. Whatever the case, love at first sight happens in an instant and there can be no denying the feelings of intoxication that accompany it.

As the saying goes, love finds you when you least expect it. This was certainly the case for me. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon and I was minding my own business as I walked up a private road on the outskirts of Byron. Unbeknown to me, I was about to meet “The One” – the one who I had been looking for all my life, the one who I couldn’t live without.

As I reached the top of the road, I arrived at a restaurant called Fig Tree. You wouldn’t know from its unassuming appearance, but this restaurant has the all the makings of a chef’s hat contender. The moment I stepped inside, it hit me like a tonne of wontons that I had indeed found “The One”. I had found my perfect restaurant match.

Fig Tree is hard to fault. The only mishap was mixing up our booking, but I’ll let them off the hook since they made room for us at the last minute and treated us to “the best seat in the house”. Bless them! Being brought up by a mother who is somewhat obsessed by views, I seem to have inherited a similar inclination for “good outlooks” when eating out. It’s all about the view, you see. As I sat perched on my chair and gazed out towards the sunny Byron hinterland, it occurred to me that Mum would give this view her seal of approval.

All the ingredients at Fig Tree are spot on – from the seasonal and artistically presented food, to the attentive and down-to-earth service, to the reasonable price to the scenic location, to the beautiful old fig tree that sits on the hill. For me, it was like coming home – to a home that cooked the most delicious and creative food imaginable. The lovely chefs even catered for my food sensitivities by keeping all the dairy separate and offering me a dairy-free dessert. This was without me even making a fuss – they just picked up on something I asked about one of the sauces. They also treated us to complimentary champagne for our anniversary. Every part of the six-course degustation was like music in my mouth. To be honest, I enjoyed it more than Tetsuya’s degustation. Yes, it’s true! Not bad for $65 a head.

Fig Tree dishes up a Farmers’ Market menu every Thursday evening using the freshest local and organic produce from the fabulous Byron Bay Farmers’ Markets. The four-course menu is $45; the six-course tasting menu is $65. What a bargain. I highly recommend that you hotfoot it there ASAP. You’ll love it.

Fig Tree Restaurant & Rooms
4 Sunrise Lane, Ewingsdale NSW 2481
Phone: (02) 66 847 273
Email:[email protected]

So, tell me readers, do you have a restaurant that stole your heart the moment you lay eyes on it?

 

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Raw food recipes

On March 9, 2011 in allergy-free, cakes, celiac, dairy-free, dessert, egg-free, food sensitivities, gluten-free, healthy recipes, organic, raw food, wheat-free

Let’s face it, there’s more food movements out there than you can poke a stick at – veganism, vegetarianism, gluten-free, wheat-free, slow food, macrobiotic. Just thinking about it makes me want to eat a cheeseburger. But here’s one you may not have heard of – raw foodism. It was flying under my foodie radar until a recent trip to Byron Bay (the organic and spiritual centre of New South Wales) where my best friend educated me on the virtues of this foodie movement.

So, what is raw food or rawism as it’s also known? Well, the theory goes that when food is uncooked and unprocessed, all the energy and nutritional goodness is retained. Raw foodists believe the greater the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits. Think fruit, vegies, nuts, whole grains, non-pasteurised dairy products… you get the picture?

To help further my education in raw foodism, my bestie (Bec) took me along to the Bangalow Food Markets to stock up on some raw food desserts. Bec knows more than anyone how much I love dessert, and more importantly, how deprived my dessert stomach has been since embarking on my food-sensitivity diet last year. So, off to the markets we went to load up on choccie bliss balls, chocolate beetroot fudge cake and lemon coconut “cheese” cake. I was like a pig in mud.

Raw chocolate beetroot fudge cake

Raw chocolate beetroot fudge cake. It tasted like cherry ripe

Honestly, I couldn’t believe my luck at these marvels. It was like discovering a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. “You mean, I can really eat these?” I repeatedly asked to a resounding, “Yes you can!”. These desserts are so healthy, you almost feel like you’re wearing a halo whilst eating them. Not only are they dairy, sugar and wheat-free, but they’re actually good for you.

Raw lemon coconut cheesecake

Raw lemon coconut cheesecake rocks my world.

So, let’s confront the elephant in the room. How on earth do you make a cake without eggs, milk and flour and stuff? Well, I’m glad you asked. I was wondering the same thing myself. Raw foodists are a creative and resourceful bunch. They use things like avocado, pitted dates, coconut oil, spices, nuts and oil and mash it all together and stick it in the fridge. It might not sound appetising, but trust me, these desserts are good… especially if you’re like me and can’t eat processed desserts. Be warned though, these babies are filling. Eat the whole slice in one sitting and risk bursting at the seams.

To keep the raw food dream alive, Bec has lent me a cookbook by raw food crusader Ani Phyo. The book is called Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen. It’s jam-packed full of raw food recipes, including this cashew coconut pudding and cacao pudding brekky recipe.

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Brown Sugar’s 100 Mile Meal

On November 28, 2010 in 100 mile meal, dessert, organic, organic meat, recipes, restaurants, reviews

Imagine a world where dessert is served first. No canapes, entrées or mains to endure before getting to the star attraction. No time to wait before digging into the piece de resistance.

This long-lived fantasy of mine was reignited last month at Bondi’s Brown Sugar restaurant whilst tucking into one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten. Rhubarb and custard tartlet with strawberry ice-cream, nutmeg and pistachio brittle. A delicious melody of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy all rolled into one delicious plateful of tartlet.

The pistachio tartlet was part of Brown Sugar’s 100 Mile Meal – one of the annual events of the Sydney International Food Festival. The 100 Mile Meal concept is all about sourcing produce from within a 100 mile (160 km) radius. As well as forging connections between cooks, chefs and suppliers, 100 Mile Meals are encouraging diners to think before they eat and give a thought to how far food has travelled to land on their plate.

Pistachio tartlet

Pistachio tartlet

Brown Sugar menu

Brown Sugar menu

As far as neighbourhood restaurants go, Brown Sugar gets the proverbial thumbs up from me. It’s one of my favourite venues for a date night – friendly service, wrinkle-decreasing lighting and bloody good food, including a mean fish pie with truffle oil. Sibling duo, Neil and Lianne Gottheiner have diners spilling out the doors at this cafe by day, modern bistro by night. Local, seasonal and organic produce is the force behind their winning formula.

So, working in reverse on the 100 Mile Meal, the next dish on the menu was “bouillabaisse” – a French spiced seafood soup (using locally caught seafood with preserved lemon and coriander). We washed it down with a glass of 2009 Polin and Polin’s John Rooke’s rosé from New South Wales’ wine mecca, the Hunter Valley.

Brown Sugar's bouillabaisse

Brown Sugar's bouillabaisse

Our entrée was a selection of local little vegetables with accompaniments. When Brown Sugar’s head chef, Neil Gottheiner told us about the myriad of ingredients that went into making this pretty plate of vegies, I must admit that I felt bad about eating it and spoiling all his hard work. This dish is how I would describe art on a plate. We washed it down with a glass of 2009 Polin and Polin’s ‘Ships of the Line’ verdelho from the Hunter Valley, NSW. Delicious.

Selection of local little vegetables with accompaniments

Selection of local little vegetables with accompaniments

Next time you cook or eat out, I encourage you to consider how far your food has travelled. Think locally, buy locally and support farmers and food producers.
Photo by Paul Green
And if you happen to find yourself at Brown Sugar, be sure to try their fish pie. It’s very good. If you can’t get yourself there, here’s a great fish pie that I love to cook.

Brown Sugar restaurant, Bondi

Photo by Paul Green

Looking for more great date restaurants? Check out my review of the Public Dining Room at Balmoral Beach.

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Pork meatballs

On November 17, 2010 in Bill Granger, curry, dairy-free, dinner, Indian, organic, pork, recipes

Red wine and chocolate; steak and mustard; toast and Vegemite; Romeo and Juliet – some things belong together, but that doesn’t mean we can’t occasionally challenge convention. Take meatballs, for example. They go together beautifully with lashings of garlic-infused tomato sauce, but who’s to say we can’t throw caution to the wind and team them with something different, like curry sauce?

Introducing organic pork meatballs with curry sauce. Yet another brilliant recipe from one of my favourite cooks, Bill Granger. This recipe is proof in the pudding that sometimes it’s good to throw tradition out the window. Organic pork mince is a refreshing substitute for beef mince, and curry sauce is like a breath of spring when teamed with meatballs. Just make sure you buy organic pork as the factory-farmed pork is the source of much misery for our beautiful pigs.

Pork meatballs with curry sauce

Pork meatballs with curry sauce

This is one of those clever mid-week meals you can cook with your eyes closed (well, almost). It also freezes well, so you can cook up a big batch and defrost as needed. I haven’t used massaman curry paste in this dish as yet. I just use whatever is in the fridge, be it green curry paste or madras, for example. I found there wasn’t enough sauce, so I recommend adding extra coconut milk, stock or tinned tomatoes to help create more liquid. Here’s the recipe for Bill Granger’s pork meatballs with curry sauce.  Bon appetit!

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