Slow Food Saddleback is joining with the Kiama Farmers Market to help raise much needed funds to keep the market running smoothly.
A special dinner featuring all produce from market stallholders will be held on Monday July 31 at The Siding in Gerringong. Details of the PopUP restaurant will follow very soon, but watch local social media for tickets, (we will not be doing the ticketing) so save the date.
More details will be emailed to members and subscribers soon.
Kirsten McHugh of the Schoolhouse, Gerringong (founding member of Slow Food Saddleback) and continued supporter of our events has earned Gold Medal for her Goat Curd Cheese, Silver for Crescenza, a northern Italian style soft, creamy cheese and Bronze for her fabulous Halloumi at the Royal Easter Show. Congratulations Kirsten!
Kirsten’s products will be available at the Kiama Farmers Market from Wednesday April 5th.
Wins for local milk, local cheeses, and a local cheesemaker
Former Saddleback founder/convivium leader Kirsten McHugh of the Schoolhouse, Gerringong, has won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal at the RAS Sydney Royal Show Cheese & Dairy awards for three cheeses from her range. Her Golden Goat cheese won Gold in the mould-ripened goat cheese class, her Italian styled soft cheese Crescenza won silver in the fresh, unflavoured cheese class and her haloumi a bronze in the haloumi class. These awards follow previous successes in the Dairy Industry Association Australia annual awards for her haloumi in 2014 (Silver) and 2015 (Silver). Kirsten, the founder and producer of Foxground Handmade Teas, has been making cows’ milk cheeses since 2013, sourced from local Gerringong milk. Since that time she has been producing an expanding range of those cows’ milk cheeses- haloumi, Mountain cheese, blue, crescenza, camembert, quark and greek-style yoghurt. Her haloumi in particular enjoys strong support in the region and in Sydney, as does her crescenza. The haloumi is especially popular – grilled and eaten without or with accompaniments such as melon, pickled cucumber or chilli jam. The crescenza is a soft, creamy cheese (nothing like Philadelphia), based on a cheese of the same name which is a part of the hallowed food culture of northern Italy. Its fresh, milky flavour can be combined with so many others, and it is a delicious aid in baking or grilling.
Kirsten extended her range in 2016, sourcing local goat milk to produce a fresh goat curd, fresh chevre rounds, a goat milk version of the crescenza, and the Golden Goat cheese for which she has now won recognition.
In this cheese-making journey, Kirsten was the first artisan cheesemaker in our immediate region. While she attended some cheesemaking courses in Australia and New Zealand, her range of cheeses is a product of her application (over many hours), her palate as well as her motivation to contribute to the food branding of our region. She does not attribute any of her spirit, or success, to her background as a lawyer!
The Schoolhouse Goat Curd is on the menu at South on Albany in Berry, and the Schoolhouse Golden Goat cheese is on the menu at the hatted Caveau in Wollongong. It is also sold at the Emporium in Berry, with others of her range. All of her cheeses are available at the Schoolhouse in Gerringong. She sells at regional and Sydney markets, including the Kiama Farmers’ Market.
It’s exciting that award-winning cheeses are being made in Saddleback territory, showcasing beautiful local milk. Saddleback is pleased to congratulate her, and to applaud her as a Slow Food archetype producer and promoter of our region and what it can, and does, offer.
Watch this space for to another smart event at The Schoolhouse coming soon.
A large group of like minded Slow Foodies and Friends enjoyed this showing of Fair Food the Documentary. This film highlights a growing movement of enthusiastic farmers, business people and communities trying to fix the food system in Australia. There is an alternative to supplying and/or shopping from the two major supermarkets now. This film was supported by overwhelming crowd funding support so we may see a sequel in a year or two.
After the film a light supper was shared, with a cup of locally grown tea by Kirsten McHugh and some delicious home made treats. It was wonderful to see so many new faces at a Slow Food Saddleback event. Thanks to Celia Wade, Liz Churcher and Michael Bligh for their hard work organising this event.
Slow Food Saddleback hosted a fundraising picnic at Celia and Des’s farm in Jamberoo on Sunday 19 Feb.
Small BBQs were lit in fire places and people had delicious picnics under the trees.
The book exchange house that we are donating to the Kiama Community Garden had it’s first paint job. It will be installed the first week in March and you can swap a cookbook or gardening book when the garden is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
The event raised money for Slow Food international as part of their appeal to help protect biodiversity around the world.
A relaxed and delicious day was had by all.
Hi folks.
Morgs, Anita Larkin and I were invited to help create a fixing and creating space within the newly improved REVOLVE centre at Dunmore/Shellharbour tip.
We have been dreaming, scheming, installing and painting .. and the resulting creating corner has been dubbed the Tinkerage. There are plans for workshops and fixing bees to be held there in the near future. Its similar to the Men’s Shed concept, but women are welcome too.
No pressure at all to come to the launch, the timing is a bit odd at 1-2pm this coming Monday,( and they’re asking for rsvps probably so they know how many sandwiches to make?) but it’s a pretty great place I thought you would like to know about. Think massive open-air garage sale/op-shop, with tools, building materials, fishing rods and other wotnots.
Pass this on to anyone who loves good junk and reducing wastage.
Best regards,
Mignon and Morgen
Www.barnaclestudio.com.au
Just a little update on Slow Food Saddleback’s representation at the National Conference in Mildura. Refer to the New Letter sent last week for details .info@slowfoodaustralia.com.au
This wonderful event was dreamed up by Hellen Attwater and she did a fantastic job. Over 40 people braved the threatening weather for Slow Fish and Chips. She sourced local mullet and had it cooked at Gerringong Fish Shop. It was delivered hot and scrumptious and was very well received on a blustery beach evening. An assortment of salads and desserts were also served.
No matter how much howling we did we couldn’t get that MOON to peak through the cloud cover.
However as we were driving home it suddenly emerged. Even the best planned events can’t organise the moon to perform on request.
On Sunday October 9th, Vicki and Celia set up shop to promote this wonderful local Seaweed product. There was lots of interest and we sold quite a lot of product on the day. This was a good follow on from the lunch we held earlier in the year with Pia Winberg at the Old Schoolhouse, Gerringong
Phyco Food Co. will be featured on ABC Landline in coming weeks and BBC have been filming new recipes too. Pia recently won a gold medal at the Melbourne Good Food Awards for the Phukka (Dukka) seaweed blend product. Check out http://www.phycofood.co/
Thank you Tricia for providing us a table at your stall.
On Thursday October 8th a small group of members met for the first of hopefully more breakfast meetings. The AGM was soon completed and the office bearers, Celia as Leader and Michael as Treasurer will remain for 2016/17. We have a couple of new committee members to welcome too.
Tess from Jamberoo Valley Farm provided a tasty morning tea, then gave us all a fascinating tour of the farm, pigs, chickens, ducks and fish as well as beautiful health herbs and vegetable flourish. She shared her plans for the future Agrarian Kitchen with us.
Thank You Tess for sharing your Slow Food way of life with and we look forward to sharing and supporting your ventures in the future.
Breakfast and Annual General Meeting Tuesday 20 Sept, 9am. Details coming soon.
Helen Attwater will be hosting an interesting lunch at Eagleview Farm Foxground. Sunday October 16th. Invitation on its way soon!
Slow Food Saddleback Membership – You will be able to renew your membership through Slow Food Saddleback from now on – Details coming.
Earlier this month 36 members and friends were treated to a fabulous lunch created by Kirsten McHugh of the Gerringong Schoolhouse using Dr Pia Winberg’s Phyco Food Co. Seaweed products produced in the Shoalhaven. Pia uses a bi-product from the Manildra plant to grow the seaweed and explained how pre-biotic fibre and Omega 3 is very beneficial to our gut health and how gut health is instrumental in our general health. Pia gave a very informative talk on her recent Bio Belly research and these results are in the process of being written up for publication in scientific journals. She also talked about the research she has undertaken with the Nowra Prison inmates and the Omega 3 deficiencies she found in this study. She has now branched out into a commercial venture marketing Phyco Food Co.* products online www.phycofood.co. The seaweed pasta was nominated at the National Food Awards in Melbourne recently.
Kirsten’s imaginative house made menu included Phukka* dusted grissini and crackers with Phycotein*spiced Schoolhouse Haloumi for starters, then the most delicious entree of eggplant and wakami wontons in a spiced wakami broth. The main course consisted of a tasty nori and nettle gnocchi and served with a nori-enriched beef ragu (beef from Helen and Bernard’s Eagleview Farm at Foxground) and a crisp salad of cabbage, fennel, lemon and Australian Ulva. Dessert was Schoolhouse Yoghurt Pannacotta with Davidson plum syrup and delicate seaweed dusted meringue. It was a very busy day for Kirsten, however she managed to introduce us to each dish. Kirsten’s cheeses and yoghurt products are available through Greenbox each week at www.greenbox.org.au
It was wonderful to share this event with the orignial founders of Slow Food Saddleback, Kirsten McHugh and Jack Timbs. Oh! and I almost forgot, (kidding) Jack gave a well researched and very entertaining introduction to Pia on the day.
Thank you Pia, Kirsten and Jack, we hope we can share another event in the near future.
nbsp;
Kiama Farmers Market invited Slow Food to participate in the Seniors Week festivities on 6th April. We decided to focus on “end of summer corn” We prepared lots of corn on the cob and corn fritters from Bill Granger’s recipe served with an avocado and finger lime salsa and a tamarillo chutney.
Look for the recipe in the recipe section.
(Corn is a particularly good example of the importance of the Slow Food Movement. After reading the Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, his description of GM corn and its impact on farming communities in the USA inspired me to join Slow Food Saddleback. He describes the importance of diversity, thinking and questioning farming methods used in food production today) Its worth the read to help you grasp the SLOW in the Slow Food Movement.
Celebrity Chef James Reeson of WIN TV Alive and Cooking entertained the crowds by cooking a selection of market produce during the afternoon.
Twenty members and friends enjoyed a fun evening at the Berry home of Judith and David Ball on March 19th. We shared the evening with their grand daughter and her friends to celebrate a belated 13th Birthday. It was a fun evening and the pizza concoctions were amazing.
Judith and David guided us through their secrets of pizza making from the dough, topping and cooking process. David walked us through his productive vegetable garden and we sampled his home brewed beer that he has perfected over many years.
This was a very special evening and we hope we are invited back. We could maybe have a pizza competition. Judith and David could be the judges.
Thank you Judith and David from all who attended.
Slow Food Members and Friends enjoyed a tasty seafood paella day on February 28th, to see in the end of summer.
Daniel and Margarita from Oscars Deli at Warrawong guided the group to make the paella from beginning to end. It was a lot of fun especially when Murray’s sangria and the tapas were passed around the busy workers. The tapas included some chorizo and spanish style jamon produced in Sydney. Helen made a tasty marinated fish tapas dish as well. Beverly did a great job setting the Spanish theme in the Gerringong Town Hall. Dessert was delightful spanish cream pots with slices of locally grown tamarillo.
Trisha Ashelford, the coordinator of the Kiama Farmers Market gave an informative chat about the workings of the Farmers Market, the growth in the two years its been operating and it’s success in pulling the local community together each Wednesday afternoon was applauded. She works really hard in her role and it is good that Slow Food Saddleback can help with special events like the up coming Seniors Week Market on the 6th April where we will showcase locally grown produce.
A day full of fun and learning for everyone.
Looking forward to our next event EARTH HOUR at the home of Judy and David Ball for homemade pizza on 19th March 2016
Check out this article in SMH 7 November 2015 Noel Butler is from Slow Food Shoalhaven
Celia and Ronnie had lots of inquisitive people visit the special Sunday Market Stall. Once again the Warrigal Greens Pesto was featured as a local foraged treat for visitors to sample. The Kiama Market supported SMH Good Food Month as a special regional event.