agrarian kitchen news feb 2011

newsletter #06

february 2011

www.theagrariankitchen.com

Yes, it has been a long time since you heard from us last, but that’s only because we have been flat out with all the exciting new projects down here in our little piece of paradise. Oh where to start, well we have our newest residents the bees, all settled in and producing honey from the abundance of spring and summer growth. The polytunnel that was erected in October is bursting at the seams with eggplant, capsicum, chillies and melons. Our latest batch of piglets are strong, healthy and looking tastier by the day and we have three young (cheeky) goat bucks spreading mischief wherever they roam. The vegetable garden is now at least double the size of what we first started with and it is thanks to our gardeners, Rainer and now Lee that it is humming along with regularity and abundance.

Now to burst the bubble of idealism it hasn’t all been plain sailing, in November we lost one of our goats due to complications relating to a difficult birth. With the highest of highs that come with animal husbandry the opposite of lows ensue with the loss of one. And while the consistent rain has been a blessing for the garden, a little too much in spring meant we lost a lot of our newly planted raspberry canes, but as they say there’s always next year.

Our new smokehouse has been in constant use cold smoking everything from bacon and hams to ocean trout, eels, mackeral, beef brisket, tea and salt. Rhys, my right hand man, has been smoking and preserving everything in sight including the most amazing smoky cherry plum barbecue sauce that goes perfectly with the aged Jersey cow we have been grilling and braising our way through in class. The cow was at least six years old and we have had the carcass hanging in our coolroom for 6 weeks. The meat has the marbling of wagyu and the tenderness equal to any yearling. I have encountered many people in this country who too easily dismiss older animals as only good for hamburgers, however provided they are hung properly and treated correctly they will have greater colour and flavour than any younger animal with equal tenderness. In parts of Europe they are prized. The other surprise to most is that the Jersey makes for good eating. Don’t just take my word for it, in Rick Stein’s “Food Heroes” television series he visits a farm that are raising Jerseys primarily for meat. They may not pack as much on the hind quarters as an Angus but they are far from the bag of bones they are dismissed as by most.

Finally I will make a quick reference to The Slow food Terra Madre and Salone del gusto we were fortunate enough to attend in Turin last October, for those interested I will expand on the details later but I will briefly say it was the most amazing, inspiring food event I have ever attended and restores my faith that for every atrocity committed in the name of food production there are people out there more committed to restoring real food to our tables, so those of you wanting to join the fight, Slow Food is a good place to start.

Rodney & Severine

terra made & salone del gusto

Turin - Italy, October 2010

In October 2010 Severine and I were privileged to have been chosen as delegates to attend Slow Food’s Terra Madre in Turin Italy. Terra Madre (Mother Earth) is a gathering of like-minded people from all corners of the globe including food producers, chefs, teachers, gardeners etc to meet and connect with one another, be inspired, share ideas and listen to talks on topics of interest from sustainable bee keeping to establishing community gardens. The most poignant moment is the realisation that the problems we face in Australia are shared all over the world and as human beings we are all in this together.

It is heart breaking to hear from African delegates who are seeing the best agricultural land in their countries bought up to produce cheap food for the western world, or traditional foods that have been part of cultures as long as living memory copyrighted to be used in the productions of drugs, making it illegal for anyone except the pharmaceutical companies to propagate them.

Salone del gusto is held in conjunction with Terra Madre and an opportunity for artisanal producers to show their wares. Spread over an entire level of the old Fiat factory are fruit and vegetables, salumi, cheese, seafood, gelato, bread, grains and pretty much any other artisan food in production, after al it is all about diversity. Many of the foods are Slow Food Presidia, which means there is a concerted effort to protect there production.

There was much talk among many of the Australian delegates about getting an Australian/Oceania slow food event started to showcase our own beautiful products and awesome producers that are fighting the good fight. So until then check out the websites and your local slow food communities.

our new poly tunnel

It began as all gardens at the agrarian kitchen do...with the pigs turning the soil. After that the land was levelled and planted with barley as a green manure crop. The sod was turned and the frame erected, the plastic was thankfully dragged over the frame before it had a chance to be blown into Hobart and the ground planted out with many varieties of eggplant, capsicum, chillies, watermelons and rock melons. It is also doubling, for now, as a drying area for the pulled onions. It has now, much to our delight, become a jungle with the eggplant and capsicum reaching waist and chest heights and the melons crawling along the ground covering every square inch.

I should note that this is heated in no way and in winter will still host winter crops such as carrots, beetroot, english spinach and mustards. The brassicas are much better off outside as the frost will only make them sweeter.

Anyone interested in utilising a greenhouse would be wise to consult any of Eliot Coleman’s books such as “The Four Season Harvest” and “The Winter Harvest Handbook”. He successfully grows all year round in Maine, North America of all places, much colder than any of us are ever likely to experience here in Australia or Tasmania.

The Agrarian Kitchen’s fisherman, Mark Eather is as artisanal as they come. All of his catch is sustainably line caught and humanely killed using the Japanese iki-jime spike method within seconds of being landed on the boat, which ensures a quality-finished product due to the absence of stress. These methods mean limited catch, which is sought after by chefs around the world including Neil Perry and Kylie Kwong. Mark now also trains the grandchildren of his Japanese mentors as they believe his skill is now superior to theirs.

The Agrarian Kitchen’s seafood lunch will pair Mark’s catch with produce from our garden for a special dining experience, with Mark sharing his stories of the sea and the ones that got away…as well as those on the plate.

HOW TO BOOK: Contact Severine on (03) 6261 1099

Full Payment is required upon booking. We accept VISA, Mastercard, AMEX

We are UNABLE to accommodate dietary requirements

including allergies for this event.

SPECIAL EVENT

seafood lunch

Saturday, 12th March 2011

11.30am to 4.30pm

24 guests

(seated on 2 communal tables)

6 course degustation matched with wines

$295 per person

CLICK HERE TO VIEW HOW MANY SPACES LEFT

It is not often that we hold a lunch only event at the agrarian kitchen ..... but sometimes, there are moments that need to be celebrated and Mark Eather’s seafood is one of those moments.

In an original Hobart garage, our friends Kirk Richardson, Katrina Birchmeier and chef Luke Burgess, who teaches our charcuterie class, source the best Tasmania has to offer from local gardens, farmers and fishermen to cook exciting and innovative food utilising a wood-fired oven and chargrill, the whole mackerel cooked over the coals is a revelation.

Seafood also comes from our own Mark Eather. Food is in the form of share plates which eliminates food envy and the communal tables means if you can get friendly with your dining neighbours you may be able to sneak a bite from their plates.

Wines are all natural, meaning the fermentation has taken place from the yeast on the grapes not an introduced species and are as exciting as the food they are paired with.

We wish to thank our friends at

Electrolux for kindly upgrading our appliances with high performance AEG-Electrolux appliances.

This ensures that all our class participants are able to cook with the very latest cooking technology.

www.thinkingofyou.com.au

We wish to thank our friends at MAC Knives for kindly supplying us with a range of Tetsuya Mac Knives for our guests to use in class.

These knives are now available for you to purchase from the agrarian kitchen.

Please ask to see the range when you are next attending a class.

www.macknife.com.au

A lot has happened in the last 6 months in Hobart. Alistair Wise and his wife, Teena Kearney have opened the quaintest patisserie called sweet envy in North Hobart. A most appropriate name given the time expended deciding which delectable sugar laden treat to choose each time. Cupcakes such as the PBJ, peanut butter and jelly, a chocolate cupcake with a spoon of alistairs mother’s blackberry jam topped with a piping of peanut buttercream and dipped in chocolate ganache, now that’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout...

Macaroons are another hot ticket item as is the ice creams such as salted almond caramel and raspberry rhubarb all made from real and I mean real fruit. Teena’s wedding and occasion cakes are the most sort after must have item for Tasmanian brides-to-be and can be seen on display in the window.

Our favourite at the moment is the “Oh, Pierre” macaroon and filled with fresh raspberries and rose jelly. Yum!

a few of our teachers have now opened their own establishments in hobart, which makes for exciting times for the locals and visitors alike.

No Trip on the midlands highway is complete without a visit to companion bakery in Oatlands run by Graham Prichard of our “secrets of sourdough” class fame. In his big daddy version of our own Alan Scott wood-fired oven Graham turns out resplendent loaves of sourdough bread, pastries, quiches and pies using stone ground flour from Oatlands’ newly restored Callington Mill which Graham manages for the Southern Midlands Council.

Tours of the mill can also be arranged with prior notice. This wind powered mill is the only one of it’s type in the southern hemisphere and can be seen along with Graham on an upcoming episode of Poh’s kitchen.

www.salonedelgusto.com

www.terramadre.org

www.slowfood.com

www.slowfoodaustralia.com.au

THE LATEST ADDITION TO OUR BOOKSHELF

MOUNEH by Barbara Abdeni Massaad

Those who know me also know I’m a sucker for a good food book. So whilst perusing the stalls at Salone del Gusto in October I came across Mouneh on a stall from Lebanon, after instantly falling in love with the book I tried to purchase it only to be told it was to be released in November and this was an advance copy. After writing down the name I searched for it on the internet and came across the website below.

This book has stayed beside my bed now for weeks and I wax lyrically about it to anyone who’ll listen. It is a truly original work from which the author conveys cooking from her culinary roots that is near and dear to her heart.

Another reason to buy the book is that each copy sold will contribute to an arabic version being produced which means the people of Lebanon will have a record of their own food culture, which as with most traditional foods is being diluted or lost. So buy two copies as they make great gifts.

http://mounehexploringthelebanesepantry.blogspot.com/